Laden Skies
by Katsu Kitsune
Summary: Can love keep you alive? Kaoru and Megumi think it can, will Kenshin finally believe?
1. Sorrow and Light

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any other characters portrayed within this story.

If you want to flame my work, go ahead, I'd prefer you to be *vaguely* constructive though.

If you don't like the content, read something else, or write a different version of it..

Chapter 1 - Sorrow and Light

"Dr Genzai, come quickly, Megumi is hurt." Sanosuke yelled in fear.

Muffled sounds of dressing come from within, as the doctor hurriedly grabbed clothing and medicine, Sano bouncing foot to foot as he waited impatiently.

"Alright, I'm on my way" muttered Dr Genzai, stumbling into the door in his haste. "What's wrong with her Sanosuke? Is she hurt? Sick?"

"She started bleeding." blushed Sano. "Like a monthly blood but.. She hurts, she's been crying and being sick for an hour, maybe more. Please help her Dr Genzai, I don't want her to die." Sano broke down, weeping as he ran towards the house where Megumi was living.

Nearer the house, they could hear the anguished moans from Megumi, who was curled in the courtyard, pools of blood and vomit around her as she lay shaking. Sano dropped the medicines by the doctor and ran to her, cradling her in his arms.

"You said you wouldn't move, love, I told you to stay still.." Sano shook his head at her, stroking her sweat soaked hair.

"I'm sorry Sano." she gasped. "I was so hot inside, needed air on my face." Her words were interrupted by her screams, blood pouring from her in a torrent, her belly tightening with the pain, her sobs growing more frequent until she was barely able to breathe.

Dr Genzai motioned for Sano to lay her down and get bedding, clean towels, and water. Sano stripped off his white jacket, and lay Megumi on it, running to retrieve the items the doctor needed.

"Megumi, can you hear me? Just blink if you can hear me, ok?" Dr Genzai began questioning Megumi between the pains. "How long has the pain been going on? An hour?" A blink. "Megumi, I need to ask you a very personal question, I need to know the answer so I can help you." Another blink from Megumi, tears sliding from her wide eyes. "Have you had your monthly blood in the last 4 weeks?" Megumi closed her eyes, not wanting to see Dr Genzai's face when she answered. "No. Not for three moons." she whispered, turning her head away.

Dr Genzai smiled gently. "It's alright Megumi. I need to ask another question though. Have you made love to anyone since your last blood? I need to know, kitsune.." 

Megumi's eyes flared wide as she looked at the doctor. "You think I am having a baby?" She looked away, then gazed at Sano so sadly. "Yes, I have. Sano and I… I don't understand though, I took the medicines to stop a child, this shouldn't have happened."

Dr Genzai looked very serious. "You have been ill in the last 3 or 4 moons, Megumi, remember, you were very sick from bad food, that may have stopped the medicine from doing its work. If I had known what you were doing I would have given you other medicine to help."

Megumi looked frightened. "If I am with child, its going to die, isn't it." She began to cry again, soul rending sobs wracking her. "How can I tell him this?" She beseeched Dr Genzai. "How can I tell him that I.. That we were having a child? Oh Dr Genzai what do I do?"

The doctor pulled her close and held her while the pains subsided. Laying her down, he took powders from his bag and began mixing a potion to help drive the rest of the bad blood from her body.

"Sano." called Dr Genzai.

"Hai, is Megumi going to be alright?" a tear streaked Sano crouched by her, holding her hand like she would break.

De Genzai put his old hand on Sano's shoulder, smiling a little to allay his fears. "Aa, she will. But I have to give her some medicine, and she's going to be in a little pain, and be somewhat unhappy with me. She may need to shout at me too. I think it might be best if you go and stay with Kenshin for the rest of the night. You can come back once it's light, alright? If you could get Misao first though, that would be helpful. She can give me a hand with Megumi, or she can run to find you if I need you."

"Hai, I will find her now for you." Sano stood to leave, then knelt by Megumi and whispered to her. "You are going to be fine, and tomorrow I am going to buy something for you, something special, so you need to get better, ok?"

"Ok, rooster head.." whispered Megumi to her lover. "I'll see you in the morning."

Sano nodded and left the doctor to his work.

"Oh kitsune." sighed Dr Genzai "What am I to do with you."

Megumi looked at the doctor and smiled weakly. "You are to give me the medicine that will make this baby leave me, so it doesn't kill me instead. I know I am going to be very very rude to you in a while, please don't take it too personally, alright?"

Dr Genzai nodded, and held a cup to her lips. "It will be very bitter, it has powdered Willow bark in it." Megumi wrinkled her nose and drank it all down, swirling the dregs to ensure she had taken all of the medicine. Lying back down Megumi sighed deeply.

"Dr Genzai, will I be able to have children?" Megumi looked concerned. "I mean, the medicine and this wont have damaged me, will they?"

Dr Genzai sat back, looking at her, sweat plastering her hair to her head, blood on her thighs and hands. "I think you'll be just fine Megumi. It isn't that unusual for this to happen." He patted her hand absently, saying "You'll be fine, you and Sano will be able to conceive. Just be careful if you are going to use that medicine please.."

Megumi broke into a grin and promised to be more careful.

"Misao" yelled Sanosuke from the doorway of her home. "Misao come down here now!"

"Alright, alright, hold on you big bully" Misao leapt down the stairs dressed only in a flimsy nightdress.

"What is the matter with you, it's the middle of the night?" yelled Misao angrily.

"It's Megumi, she's sick, Dr Genzai wont let me stay, he asked me to get you so Megumi has someone to help." Sano stopped and took a deep breath. "Please will you help her?"

__

He looks so lost thought Misao. "Sure. Let me get dressed first though please? I can't very well run through town like this now, can I?"

"Hai, get dressed, then we run, ok?" Sano nodded in agreement.

There will be more to come shortly in the form of new chapters. This is a work in progress as most on this site are, so feel free to complain to me, and I will feel free to ignore the ones I don't like and thank the ones I do. Now, to write some more.


	2. Change

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any other characters portrayed within this story.

Much to my regret. Hmm, maybe in another universe?

Just to go through the two stars who reviewed me:

Cheers to MissBehavin and Toby-Chan1.. Am happy that someone out there wants me to continue *grins* :o)

"Oi, Muse.."

__

The Muse lifts his head off the pillow, flame red hair, so like the authoresses, tangled around his shoulders. "Wah'?"

"Please help me with this chapter my love?" she smiled sweetly, knowing he can't resist a challenge.

__

Picture Muse smiling, placing his fingertips on the authoresses head, planting a kiss on her nose and whispering "Write my love.. Write the world inside your mind"

So, with no further ado.

Chapter 2 - Change

__

Another moonless night. This cannot be good.. Kaoru lay on a mat in the doorway to the dojo, watching the starlit skies pass overhead. _It must be an omen.. But of what?_

With a start, Kaoru sat up, listening to the dry scrunching of slippered feet on the earthen floor.

"Wh-Who's there?" stammered Kaoru.

"Gomen Kaoru, I did not mean to startle you." the soft voice of Kenshin drifted from the shadows.

"I could not sleep, I feel something is wrong."

Slowly standing, turning towards the voice, Kaoru nods.

"Hai, I was having the same problem, the stars do not make me feel happy tonight. It makes me wonder if they are trying to say something to me."

Looking up at the stars, Kenshin stepped out of the shadows towards Kaoru, starlight glittering across his hair, the scar on his cheek glowing like his eyes. In the light of the stars his hair was hardly visible, only as a darker shadow surrounding him. But his eyes glowed amber like a wild-cats.

"Kaoru. I have to speak with you, about something important." Kenshin stood a few feet from her, his hand outstretched. "I need to tell you about me." His warm, strong hand closed on hers so gently, fingers entwined. "Please, sit with me?" he implored.

"H-Hai. Of course Kenshin." murmured a blushing and confused Kaoru.

"What is it you wish to speak of to me?"

"I.. I wish to talk to you about my wife." Kenshin did not look at Kaoru as he spoke, knowing her sapphire eyes would be wide with shock. Not speaking, Kaoru waved him to continue with her free hand, not letting go of him despite this revelation.

Sighing deeply, Kenshin continued. "When I was Battoussai, I did things. Terrible things." looking at the stars, he spoke quietly of his memories. "It was a night like this, some seven years ago. She was so beautiful. We had been married only four months and were not quite settled down. We had a nice home, but we were hardly there, I was still working with the government, still doing their dirty work." he paused, looking at Kaoru. "They gave me an assignment to follow a man names Akira. So I did. One night, I found him. I found my wife with him.. I was angry, but so cold inside, I felt like death was in me. I was to kill him and anyone found with him." Tears formed in Kaoru's eyes, glistening unshed as the story unfolded. Kenshin seemed unable to take his eyes from Kaoru, waiting for her reaction. For her revulsion.

"I killed them both. They fought me. Tomoe, my wife, she fought so hard, even knowing she could not defeat me. They died. Akira first, then Tomoe. I held her as her blood left her body and stained my hands. She looked into my eyes and told me she understood why this was happening, that she forgave me. Taking a knife in her hands, she cut my face, giving me one line of the scar." Raising her hand to his face, Kenshin rubbed her fingertips over the scar tissue, feeling Kaoru shiver at the touch. "She died in my arms, forgiving me, but knowing that I would not forgive myself."

Stopping, Kenshin held Kaoru's hand tightly to his face, his eyes still on hers, willing her to understand.

"Kenshin, I.. Thank you for telling me this.. I am happy you trust me, but.. Why are you telling me this now?" Kaoru was crying silently for Kenshin, needing an answer, but being so afraid of it.

With a deep breath, Kenshin tried to form the words he needed to explain.

"I am telling you because.. Because you need to know. Because I need to tell you. Because I finally realised she was right, that I wouldn't forgive myself. I know I need to if I am to move on.."

At this, Kaoru's eyes went wide with shock as she prepared herself, knowing he must be leaving the dojo again, leaving her, leaving them all. "Kenshin.."

Kenshin took her hands in his again, stroking his fingers over hers.

"I need to visit the place I buried her. Even if her ghost is not there, I need to talk to her, to let her know what is going on in my life. I want to tell her that she was right, and that it is possible for me to love more than the smell of blood.

Kaoru, I have to go away, but it wont be for long I feel. When I come back, in a month, or three months, I would like to do something with you." Kenshin stopped, seeing the fearful look he was being pinned with and smiled. "It's not a bad thing I wish to do, I think you might even like it.."

At that point, he leaned into Kaoru and pressed his lips to her soft cheek, eliciting a pleased gasp from her now parted lips. Whispering against her cheek he simply said: "I love you." and vanished.

Crying freely Kaoru leapt to her feet.

"Kenshin, I love you, I love you." knowing he was gone, she moaned and dropped to her knees in the courtyard.

__

I love you…

Mou.. Wish I could write what's in my head right now.. I am extremely tired, but hopefully I will be able to update a little faster this time.

Thank you for reading my work…

And don't worry, it'll get a little lighter very soon..

K


End file.
